ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 67991
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| Date: | 22-AUG-2009 |
| Time: | 12:10 LT |
| Type: |  Zivko Edge 540 |
| Owner/operator: | Vicki Cruse |
| Registration: | N540BW |
| MSN: | 0021 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Silverstone racing circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Silverstone racing circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire (EGBV) |
| Silverstone racing circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire (EGBV) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was being flown in an aerobatic competition during which it failed to recover from a downwards snap roll manoeuvre, initiated at about 2,300 feet agl. The aircraft continued to rotate until it struck the ground, fatally injuring the pilot.
The single seater Zivko Edge 540 plane crashed on the southern end of the racetrack at midday killing the famous acrobatic pilot Vicki Cruse. As seen in the photo below, ít was not Vicki's own machine, but Zivko Edge 540 N540BW. The US didn't transport own aircraft and Vicki "borrowed" an European based example.
The AAIB investigation discovered a mechanism whereby rudder pedal extensions used by the pilot could have contributed to a rudder control restriction, but pilot incapacitation was also considered a possible contributory factor.
The inquest jury returned a narrative verdict, adding that the left rudder could not be fully removed in order to recover from an aerobatic manoeuvre.
Miss Cruse, a former US aerobatic champion, was among 62 pilots from around the world competing in the event at Silverstone on 22 August. In a statement read out at High Wycombe magistrates' court, the jury concluded: "Vicki Cruse, a highly experienced aerobatic competitor, while taking part in the FAI World Aerobatic Championships, failed to recover from a downward snap roll manoeuvre, resulting in her plane crashing to the ground, leading to immediate death as the result of severe multiple injuries.
"Based on the evidence given to the jury, it is our belief that the deceased's rudder pedal extensions, installed on her instruction, caused a restriction to the left pedal such that the left rudder could not be fully removed once applied in order to recover from the manoeuvre.
"We believe this was a significant contributing factor in this fatal accident."
Registration N540BW cancelled by the FAA on 9/11/2009
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f573e5274a1314000541/Zivko_Aeronautics_Inc_Edge_540__N540BW_09-10.pdf
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=540BW
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/northamptonshire/8215889.stm
4. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6072987/Woman-dies-in-aircraft-crash-at-racing-circuit.html
5. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208325/Female-pilot-killed-plane-crashes-Silverstone.htm
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-11787858
7. https://www.pprune.org/private-flying/386146-world-aero-championship-pilot-killed-silverstone.html
8. https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/investigation-into-death-of-pilot-at-silverstone-1-738722
9. https://www.iac.org/news/eaa-and-iac-mourn-loss-vicki-cruse
10. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=1fe2d6b4-db77-4ca5-85d3-1b9fadffa20a
Accident investigation:
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Media:
Zivko Edge 540 N504BW at Drachten, Netherlands (EHDR) on 08-06-2005:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Aug-2009 11:34 | RobertMB | Added |
| 22-Aug-2009 22:25 | Alpine Flight | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 06:14 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 12:16 | 78Delta | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 13:21 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Aug-2009 13:26 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 08-Jan-2011 09:07 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 15-Oct-2012 16:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 15-Oct-2012 17:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2016 12:59 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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